homeandawayfandomcom-20200223-history
Ben Lucini
'''Benito "Ben" Lucini '''is an Italian army soldier and the son of Antonio and Gina Lucini. He's the brother of Francesca Lucini and the husband of Carly Morris. He's also the father of their 3 children, Jordy, Michael and Philippa Lucini. He's the best friend of Steven Matheson. Storylines Ben arrives in Summer Bay along with his friend Dave Porter (John Adam) while they are on military leave. Ben is instantly attracted to Carly who serves him in the diner. Ben then rents a caravan from Carly's foster parents Tom Fletcher and Pippa Ross. Ben and Carly begin dating but Dave's presence is a continual problem, which annoys Carly who decides to dump Ben. Grant Mitchell helps Carly and Ben get back together by pretending to date Carly and staging a fake fight outside of the surf club. Carly is concerned when it seems Grant has hurt Ben but discovers this was all staged. Ben proposes and by the end of the week, the couple are engaged. Tom and Pippa think Ben and Carly are rushing into matters but they are determined. Ben's suggestion of holding the wedding in his hometown is received badly by the Fletchers and the couple agree to marry in the Bay. The couple set about finding additional jobs and looking at potential homes. When Tom dies of a heart attack, Ben comforts Carly and inadvertently upsets Steven Matheson(Adam Willits) when he sits at the head of the table, in Tom's place. Ben and Carly frequently clash over expenses ahead of the wedding, putting strain on their relationship. When Ben and Carly go skinny-dipping after a picnic, Ben's car containing their clothes is stolen, leaving them stranded. Ben gets to a phone box to contact Grant for a lift but cannot get hold of him. A nearby couple call the police after seeing Ben, but no charges are laid. Ben then buys some chickens in order to help Pippa set up a small farm she and Tom were going to. The idea backfires when the chickens become hard to handle and Ben is forced to get rid of them. Ben's family arrive several days ahead of the wedding. Ben experiences food poisoning after his cousin, Angelo brings him a tainted takeaway meal. Ben is ordered by Doctor Walker not to mix alcohol with his medication but on his buck's night, the warning goes unheeded and Angelo and Adam Cameron get him drunk and dump him in the bush without his trousers. Ben then picked up by a truck driver and driven a long way out of the bay. The next morning, the wedding is in jeopardy when Ben is nowhere to be found. Carly is left waiting at the church and after a long wait, she gives up, think Ben does not love her. Ben makes it back to town and asks the reverend to reschedule and he and Carly marry that day. After they return from honeymoon, Ben moves out of his caravan into the Fletcher house. Ben discovers that Steven is seeing Jennifer Atkinson, a much older woman and urges him to tell her his real age and break up with her. When Jennifer's violent husband Daniel attacks Steven with a cricket bat and lies about it, Ben attacks him but is stopped by Carly and Grant. Ben later makes plans to buy the local boatshed from Fred Owens after taking out a bank loan but is furious when Michael Ross buys the business instead. After a rocky start and some misunderstandings, Ben takes a job in the boatshed. He and Michael sort out their differences and they get on well after that. Ben decides to quit his job in the boatshed to become a farmer. It doesn't work out and he rejoins the army without telling Carly. Carly is horrified and it very nearly splits them up. To add to the drama, Carly discovers that she is pregnant. Ben leaves but unexpectedly turns up at Pippa and Michael's wedding. It turns out he has gone AWOL. During their wedding reception, two military policemen arrive at the Fletcher's door to arrest Ben. Alf manages to convince them to give him time to save his marriage. Carly decides to embrace the life of an army wife after all. Ben and Carly then relocate to his hometown of Perth and have 3 children, Jordy, Michael and Philippa. Carly returns to the Bay in 2000 for Sally Fletcher wedding to Kieran Fletcher and confirms she and Ben are still together but with Ben travelling a lot, she hardly sees him. After the wedding is cancelled, Ben phones Carly and tells her he will be waiting with the children at the airport when she returns.